ON VENTILATOR > 48 HOURS (6)    PERIOPERATIVE OCCURRENCE CATEGORY (136.5)

Definition Revised (2015): 
Total duration of ventilator-assisted respirations during postoperative
hospitalization after leaving the OR was >48 hours. 
This can occur at any time during the 30-day period postoperatively.
This time assessment is CUMULATIVE, not necessarily consecutive.
Ventilator-assisted respirations can be via endotracheal tube, 
nasotracheal tube, or tracheostomy tube. This definition also applies if 
the patient was on the ventilator preoperatively and remained on the 
ventilator postoperatively > 48 hours.